Mr. Heah's update- August 13, 2020
Dear Parents/ Guardians,
I am sure that the past three weeks have been challenging for you as you try to stay on top of the school restart plan that the Ministry of Education has laid out. There seem to be changes and updates almost on a daily basis. Some parents have emailed me with questions about the restart plan, and so I thought I would give you an update on where things are at as of today. I know that there are still many unanswered questions, but please understand that our schools follow the direction of the Ministry of Education, FISA and CISVA, therefore we only know what we have been told to date.
When will school start for students?
The Ministry of Education made an announcement yesterday that schools will open to students on September 10th. Staff will be meeting on September 8th and 9th for orientation and training of restart plan, and students will be oriented on September 10th and 11th. Kindergarten parents, please stay tuned on your child’s gradual entry schedule. More information about the format and schedule of these first two days will be forthcoming.
Will it be optional for parents to send their child(ren) to school? Will the school accommodate students who don’t return to school?
The Ministry of Education has announced that it will be a full return to school for all students K-12. There is not an option to learn from home and all students are required to be in attendance. The school will not be making accommodations for students to learn from home. The exception to this is if a child is immunocompromised. If this is the case, a doctor’s note is required outlining the condition and the need to learn from home. In this case, the classroom teacher will work with you to provide remote learning opportunities.
What exactly is a learning group and how will this look at Cloverdale Catholic School?
In order to prevent any possible spread of COVID-19, and to minimize the number of people that staff and students come into contact with, the Ministry of Education has mandated that schools put the students and staff into" “learning groups.” There are several different ways that these can be created. In elementary schools, learning groups must not exceed 60 people, including staff. As our classes are large and most are close to 30 students, we will need to figure out what combination of classes we can make that will not exceed 60 people. We will be limited to how these learning groups can be created. Students will remain with their classmates and teachers for instruction, but will be combined with other members of the wider learning group for drop off, pick up, recesses, mass, assemblies, and other events where we can combine students and staff. More information will be shared once our restart committee has met and made plans.
When will we know what the restart plan looks like?
School authorities are being given new information on a daily basis. All CISVA school administrators will be taking part in zones meetings next week to work on the restart plan and submission of this plan to the Ministry of Education. Once approved, schools will create their school-specific plans with their local restart committees. Schools have been asked to share the final plans with their school communities by August 26th, 2020. I will continue to update you on any major announcements that are made between now and the release of our plan. We have all come to learn that nothing is for certain and things change daily!
How will we know what class and learning group my child(ren) is in?
Historically, parents at Cloverdale Catholic School come to school on the first day with their children to look at class lists. This year, this will obviously not be possible, therefore we will be sending home class lists a week or two prior to the start of school. We hope to share the learning groups at the same time. Please note that we will not be accommodating any requests to change classes. The class lists that will be released are the final version.
Will it be mandatory for staff and students to wear masks?
A statement was made by the Ministry of Education and the PHO that there will be “a time and place” for masks in schools. Staff who travel between learning groups and cannot be socially distanced will have to wear masks. Aside from this, schools have not been mandated to have staff and students wear masks. Currently, it is an option for staff and students to wear masks based on personal preference, and anyone who choses to do so must be treated with respect. I will keep you posted as we hear more about this.
Will my child(ren) be wearing their school uniform when school starts?
Yes, all students will be expected to be in full uniform for the start of school. Parents are asked to keep uniforms clean and regularly laundered (ideally daily). I understand that this will be a challenge, but hope that you understand the importance of this request.
Will there be a Back to School night?
As a parent, I have always enjoyed the CCS Back to School night, as it is an opportunity to gather as a community to welcome the new school year and learn about our child(ren)’s new teacher. Unfortunately, that will not be possible this year. We will still be having a Back to School event, however it will likely be in a virtual form. More details to follow.
Will the after school Art Club be operating?
At this point, we are waiting on further direction as to how this will work. As the Art Club is open to all students, there will be a mix of students from different learning groups. In order to maintain the safety of all students, we must first know that this service can be provided in a safe way for students. If you registered for the Art Club for the coming year, please email Isabel Palha (ipalha@cloverdalecatholicschool.ca) to let her know if you still need the service. Knowing how many parents require this will help us determine if we can run it.
I want to remind you once again that the health and safety of all of our students and staff remains our top priority. We are working closely with the Ministry of Education, FISA and CISVA to ensure that our schools will have a plan in place that emphasizes the well-being of everyone! Please continue to pray for our school community as we plan for a successful start to the new school year. Please know of my prayers for all of you and your families.
Yours in Christ,
Mr. Clive Heah
Principal